The Avocado Project: Day 1

I was inspired to try growing an avocado tree after some new friends mentioned theirs. As I was about to cut open my daily avocado this morning for breakfast, I figured I would give it a shot. I mean, we do have four empty planters on our deck we need to fill.

Here it is in all its glory just before I’m about to slice it open. A perfectly ripe organic avocado. I’m not sure if the organic will make a difference for this purpose, but that’s what I had on hand.

I typically use this method for opening my avocados. But this time I scooped out the seed to keep from damaging it.

After rinsing and drying the seed, I jammed three bamboo skewers into the widest part of the avocado. It was actually quite a bit easier than I had anticipated. A lot of online instructions say to use toothpicks. I would definitely use toothpicks next time as the thicker skewers slightly split the seed up one side. I hope it’s OK.

I then placed the Sputnick-looking avocado seed over the top of a wide-mouth mason jar. Be sure to have the pointed end facing up because the root will come out of the bottom. I then filled the mason jar with water just so the bottom of the seed is submerged.

I would also advise you to, unlike me, jam the toothpicks with a slight upward angle in order to keep the seed just a bit below the rim. This way it is easier to keep the seed submerged without needing to fill the jar clear to the rim.

Now, place the soon-to-be avocado sprout in a warm, sunny area of your home. Lucky for us, our largest windows face directly east. We get the bright Colorado sunrise coming in every morning!

I won’t expect much action out of this little guy for several weeks. In the meantime, I will be keeping an eye on the water level and topping it off to keep the bottom submerged.